Fertilizer and seed distributer.



PATENTED JAN. 2,1906.

H. 0. MELTON. FERTILIZER AND SEED DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1905.

Witnesses Attorneys TiNTTEn STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

HENRY (J. MELTON, OF WINNSBORO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF FOUR-NINTHS TO JAMESF. TURNER, OF VVINNSBORO, TEXAS, AND THREE-NINTHS TO ROBERT S. BASS, OFGREENVILLE, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed May 24, 1905. Serial No. 262,030.

To aZZ whom, it 777/607,! concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY C. MELToN, a citizen of the United States,residing at VVinnsboro, in the county of Wood and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Fertilizer and Seed Distributer, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of fertilizer and seed distributerswhich are operated by hand and are carried by the operator, the objectof the invention being to simplify and improve the construction andoperation of this class of devices.

With these and other ends in view, which. will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of embodiment of the invention, it being, how

ever, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precisestructural details therein exhibited, but' that various changes,alterations, and modifications within the scope of the invention may bemade without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency ofthe same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a deviceconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2is a perspective view of the casing. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewshowing the plunger removed from the casing, and Fig. 4 is a sectionaldetail view of the end of the plunger having the piston.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

The casing 1 of the improved device is preferably constructed of sheetmetal of elongated funnel shape terminating in a discharge-tube 2 ofapproximately cylindrical shape. Said casing, which may be of anydesired capacity, is provided with. a ring or link 3, enabling it to besupported from a belt or shoulder-strap, if desired, and it also has ahandle 4, whereby it may be guided.

The plunger consists of a stick or rod 5, which may be made of woodwhich is prefer ably tapered in the direction of its lower end,

where it terminates in a piston 6 of conical shape, the baseconstituting the extreme lower end of the plunger. The conical piston ispreferably provided with an exterior covering 7, of leather or othersuitable flexible material. Suitably secured to the rod 5, adjacent tothe apex of the conical piston 6, is one end of a rod or wire 8, whichlatter is wound upon the rod 5 so as to produce a spiral flange, theupper extremity of the wire 8 being bent and driven into the rod 5 orotherwise firmly attached to the latter. Said rod is also provided witha plurality of transverse arms 9, constituting agitators.

In practice the plunger is inserted into the funnel-shaped casing, whichis then filled with the material to be deposited and which may be guanoor other fertilizing material or seeds, such as corn, cotton, peas, orany other small seeds which it may be desired to deposit in check-rowsor in drills. The piston 6 constitutes a closure for the exit-tube whilethe device is being carried. When it is desired to deposit a dischargeof seed or fertilizing material, the extremity of the discharge-tube ispressed into the ground, so that the soil itself will constitute aclosure. The plunger is then withdrawn sufliciently to disengage theconical piston from the exittube, and said plunger is then rotated, thuscausing the spiral flange formed by the wire 8 to force a portion of thecontents of the easing past the piston and into the exit-tube. When asuflicient quantity of material has been permitted to pass into theexit-tube, the plunger is projected through the latter, thus expellingthe charge and forcing it into the ground, after which the device iswithdrawn, the piston remaining in position to constitute a closureuntil it shall be desired to repeat the operation.

While the funnel-shaped body or casing of this device has been describedas being preferably constructed of sheet metal, it is de sired to beunderstood that other material or materials may be employed in theconstruction thereof. Thus it would be feasible and in some instancesadvantageous to construct the upper portion of the casing of flexible ortextile material, such portion constituting a container 'for the seed orfertilizing material. Again, if a flexible portion or extension is usedsuch portion or extension may be braced and reinforced by wood or metal,or both, or the casing may be constructed of a lower metallic portion,an intermediate portion of wood, and an upper portion of textilematerial, all within the scope of the inventlon.

By means of this device seeds and fertilizing material may be readilydeposited at any desired depth and in the precise spot where itspresence is desired. Owing to the conical shape of the piston, theplunger may be readily withdrawn into the tube after being used to expelthe charge, and owing to the funnel shape of the casing the piston willbe as readily guided from the interior of the latter into the exit-tube.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In afertilizer and seed distributor, a funnel-shaped casing having acylindrical exit-tube, in combination with a plunger comprising a rodhaving a conical piston.

2. In a fertilizer and seed distributer, a funnel-shaped casing having acylindrical exit-tube, in combination with a plunger comprising a rodhaving a piston and provided with a spirally-disposed flange adjacent tosaid piston.

3. In a fertilizer and seed distributer, a funnel-shaped casing havingan exit-tube and a plunger comprising a rod, a conical piston at the endof said rod, and a spiral flange upon said rod adjacent to the piston.

4. In a device of the class described, a funnel-shaped casing having anexit-tube and a plunger comprising a rod having a conical piston, a wirewound upon said rod adjacent to the piston and constituting a spiralflange, ignd transversely-disposed agitating memers.

5. In a device of the class described, a conica l casing having acylindrical dischargetube, a supporting-link and a handle; incombination with a plunger comprising a rod having a conical pistonprovided with a covering of flexible material, a spiral flange adjacentto said piston, and transverse agitating members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. MELTON.

